Phantom Stalker
by Ai-White-Rabbit
Summary: Shina is a girl who constantly comes in contact with Lil Slugger,but he has yet to attack her.Although she lives a tough life,the Bat Boy will be there to relieve her pain...or will he make it worse?
1. School Daze

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime "Paranoia Agent" or any of its original characters. However, all of the characters in this story are ones that I made up; with the exception of Lil Slugger and other people from the show that will probably be mentioned. **

**Please R&R, no flames or anything please! Just be happy and enjoy the story; or Lil Slugger will get you! Ha ha, just kidding! **

**Strike 1-School Daze**

"…Suzuka, 90…Tomozenki, 94…Yamamoto, 61…" the teacher's voice echoed in the classroom, calling out students' grades. Shina Yamamoto buried her face in her folded arms on her desk and groaned. Once again, she has failed another Biology test. Someone's hand had reached across and rubbed Shina's back to comfort her. It was Yumi, one of her best friends. "You can pass it next time," Yumi reassured her. Shina didn't answer; instead, she sat up and asked the teacher if she could use the bathroom. As Shina got up to get a pass, she heard someone whisper, "She just wants to go cry 'cause she failed again." Shina gripped the pass hard, crushing the laminated paper in her fist as she exited the room.

She walked down the hallway with her head hanging low. "Can't believe I failed _again_…" she muttered; tears began to form in her eyes. Shina started to imagine how her parents would react to this. They would fuss at her and complain about how she's not going to get into college if she doesn't buckle down. Her father would probably slap her and tell her that she was grounded. A faint beeping sound snapped Shina out of her thoughts. It was the tamagotchi clipped to her skirt. She took it off of her hip and fed the hungry panda that she named "San". She continued to walk with her head down, but a skidding noise made her look up. She didn't see anything in front of her. The sound of rollerblades gliding on a floor made Shina whirl around; still nothing. "Do you have a hall pass?" asked a boy's voice. The girl turned back around and saw her friend, Minoru, standing before her. He smiled and asked, "Where are you off to?"

"Bathroom; what about you?"

"I've got to bring these papers to the office."

"Oh…"

"Are you okay? Your nose is a little red."

"Yeah, yeah fine" Shina looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was there; then faced Minoru again, "Could you walk with me?" she smiled at him weakly.

"Okay" Minoru happily agreed.

Shina was in the bathroom tending to her needs, while Minoru stood outside leaning against a wall. Shina gently tugged at her small, brown pony tails and stared hard at her reflection. As she stared at the twin before her, she began to feel hate. She felt like she was looking at a failure. It seemed like no matter how hard she studied, Shina just couldn't pass most of her tests. Although she did do well on her class work and homework, it was not quite enough to get her the high grades that she wanted. Maybe she wasn't studying as hard as she thought; maybe she really was "slacking off" as her mother would say. To top it all off; some ignorant students would tease her for various reasons, which made Shina's school life even harder.

"Get it together, get it together, get it together" Shina chanted over and over. She shut her eyes tight as if she was trying to activate the so called spell on herself. But when she opened her eyes and looked in the mirror, she spotted Lil Slugger standing behind her. He reached forward and covered Shina's eyes with his hand, and then…

"Shina-chan!" said Yumi as she shook the sleeping girl.

Shina found herself sitting next to Yumi on the school bus. "_Oh, I fell asleep_" she thought to herself.

"Come on, this is our stop" Yumi helped Shina to her feet. The two girls got off the bus and Yumi faced her. "Hey, if anything happens, feel free to call me or you can just come over. Just be brave and show the test score to your parents. You know they'll probably find out sooner or later."

"Yeah…You're right" Shina stared impassively at the other houses across the street.

"So are you still going to have a party for your birthday?"

"Um, yeah I guess; I invited Minoru-kun too. Don't forget, its Sunday."

"I won't; wow, that's in two days, I have to get you a present," Yumi smiled.

"…Thanks Yumi-chan; you're a good friend. Be careful on your way home."

"You too, bye!" They parted and Shina began walking in the direction of her house, which wasn't too far from Yumi's, but it's a bit of a walk to get there. She stuck headphones in her ears and listened to Evanescence, humming along with the music. Yeah, that's right, Shina's 16th birthday is in two days, but she wasn't looking forward to it. Her parent's were on a budget because her father had quit his job and was looking for a new one. Her mother was unable to work due to a back injury years ago. Although it had not paralyzed her, she still suffers from pain and her doctors told her that she couldn't work, so she's just a housewife. While walking, Shina was unaware that someone was following her. As the person came closer, her mp3 player had stopped. She smacked it to get it working again, but it was no use. Shina then heard the sound of rollerblades again. The sound grew louder; Shina was too afraid to turn around. She broke off into a run. The steps of the rollerblades became faster and a loud scraping noise pierced Shina's ears. She knew it was Lil Slugger who chasing her, and she didn't want to take the chance to see what he wanted with her. She figured he'd either knock her out or kill her, like he did with his other victims. She wasn't ready for that. Just a few more steps and she would reach the front porch. Lil Slugger was gaining her on. Shina hopped on the porch, unlocked the door and she was inside. Locking the door behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm home!" she called out as she removed her shoes. No one answered. Shina walked to her parents' room, "Mom, Dad?"

"They went out" came a boy's voice. Shina's heart jumped; she turned around and saw her brother standing there, eating a brownie. "Oh, its you" Shina breathed.

"Who do you think it was? Harry Potter?"

Shina smirked, "Yeah, but you're not him 'cause you're too ugly."

"Heh, very funny. You should do stand-up, Little Clown Girl" Keitaro said sarcastically. "Anyway, Mom and Dad said they should be back by 8 o' clock. There's beef stew for dinner." He returned to his room. Before going to her room, Shina looked out the window to see if her stalker was there; she found nothing…She plopped down on her bed and switched on the television to watch the news. At first nothing interested her so she began unpacking her school bag.

"…Breaking news today" said the reporter's voice, "Two girls at Hyomura High School were found dead in front of the school this afternoon…" After hearing the name of her school, Shina directed all of her attention onto the T.V. The female reporter continued, "Witnesses say that they saw Lil Slugger appear and attack the girls. Now we'll go to Ren Nabamasu at the scene…" The screen now showed a man wearing a brown suit, holding a microphone in his hand as he stands in front of the camera. "Yes, now the witnesses said that Lil Slugger came skating down the sidewalk in front of the school and approached the two girls; hitting them violently in the head with his bat." In the background, paramedics were carrying the covered bodies into the back of the ambulance. All that was left were the spots of blood where the students were hit. "They said that he hit both of them at least three times. Now I've been informed that the girls' names were Nariko Hamako and Asahi Suzuka…" "What!" Shina yelled in surprise, "Them! No way!"

-Flashback-

(Lunch time at Hyomura)

"Hey, Yamamoto-san!" Asahi called, walking up to Shina. "How come you're always failing tests? Are you retarded or something?" The red-haired girl placed her hands on her hips.

"No its just-" Shina began, but was but off by another girl, "Just _what_!" it was Nariko. "I don't get you; you're failing in your classes and the teachers are still nice to you. You should get some kind of punishment for messing up your grades. Or maybe they just feel sorry for you, 'cause you're such a failure. And how the hell did you even make it to high school?"

"Yeah, and I want to know how you made it here with that ugly face!" Shina retaliated.

"Shut up! You're just jealous 'cause I'm prettier than you and get better test scores," said Nariko as she made sassy movements.

Shina rolled her eyes and answered, "Not likely; at least I have common sense and don't look like a slut. Plus I have self esteem, and I don't have to go out and get implants; you fake-ass hoe."

"Girl!" Nariko tried to hit Shina but she moved out of the way and Minoru came over. "Back off!" he shouted at Nariko, "Leave Shina-san alone! Don't you girls have anything else better to do than mess with other people?"

"Hmph, protecting your little girlfriend, huh?" Asahi jeered. Minoru gave her a threatening look. "Hmm, whatever…" Asahi and Nariko walked off.

-End Flashback-

"_Hm, well, that's right; they got what they deserved_" thought Shina. She pulled out her assignment pad to see what homework she had to do today. "They're not my problem anymore" Shina muttered. A tiny smiled stretched across her face, when she realized this, she shook her head. She began to feel bad for her being glad that they were dead. Trying to forget all this, she started doing her geometry homework.

It was around 12 o' clock, and everyone was asleep, except Shina. She had woken up to go to the bathroom. She ended up not showing her parents the test score, for she had fallen asleep before they got home. She returned to her room and climbed back into bed, yawning widely. All was quiet in the house; however, the sudden sound of rollerblades terminated the tranquil atmosphere. The sound traveled to Shina's bedroom and stopped right outside her door. Shina's heart began to beat rapidly. Her heartbeat could be heard inside of her head, along with her own thoughts. "_Oh my god, it's him, I know it's him!"_ The door opened slowly, and the rough, muffled sound of skates brushing against a carpeted floor purred in Shina's ears. With the dim moonlight shining through the blinds, she could see Lil Slugger's figure slowly approaching her. She was starting to feel sick in her stomach and her body trembled a bit. She knew that he had come to kill her, just like he did with Nariko and Asahi. Once in striking range, Lil Slugger raised his bat high, Shina closed her eyes tight preparing for the blow, but it never came. Instead, the boy lowered his bat and gently tapped the girl on her shoulder. Shina opened her eyes and removed the sheets that covered part of her face to look at him. He stood there, quietly staring. Shina sat up, still cautious of him, and stuttered, "Uh-um-um".

"Aren't you going to thank me?" Lil Slugger interrupted.

Shina was a bit surprised to discover that he actually talked, "Um, for what?"

"For getting rid of those girls."

"But, what? Why? Why did you do it?"

"They _were_ bothering you, weren't they?"

"Yeah"

"So you should thank me for killing them off."

"Well, I am glad that they can't taunt me anymore, but you didn't have to kill them."

"I _did_ have to; there was no other way."

"Okay well, why do that for me anyway?"

"Do you always need an answer for your questions?"

"Um, well…yes."

"Hm…well all I'm sayin' is: you need _someone_ to look out for you."

"Ah-but I have my frien-"

"You talk too much."

Shina lowered her head in shame. Lil Slugger bent down and kissed her cheek. Shina looked up at him and was about to say something, but he walked out the room and disappeared.

**End of strike 1**

**So, how was that so far? Where you guys surprised or not? If anyone has suggestions for the story, I'll gladly take them into consideration. Please tell me what you thought in a review! Thank you!**


	2. Dreadful Dreams

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime "Paranoia Agent" or any of its original characters. However, all of the characters in this story are ones that I made up; with the exception of Lil Slugger and other people from the show that will probably be mentioned. **

**Please R&R, no flames or anything please! Just be happy and enjoy the story.**

**Okay, I'll stop with the disclaimer thing. :-P **

**(Probably getting tired of seeing this already)**

**Strike 2- Dreadful Dreams**

Shina found herself running up a long, spiral, red-carpeted staircase. She was inside a big bathhouse; similar to the one in the anime movie "Spirited Away". But what was she doing there? She looked back and saw Lil Slugger chasing her. She didn't know how the heck she ended up in this situation, but she had the feeling that Lil Slugger was going to harm her. "_Wasn't I asleep a minute ago?_" Shina wondered. This seemed too real to be a dream, even though it felt like one. Shina had finally reached the top of the stairs and saw a big brown door with gold, dragon trimming around it, right in front of her. She opened the door and saw the same person who was following her, standing before her. Screaming, she fell backwards down the steps, as Lil Slugger stood there, holding out his hand…smiling mysteriously.

Shina jumped awake at the sound of the alarm clock; she was strangely out of breath. She turned off the alarm and stretched. It was Saturday morning, her last day of school then she gets a day off; on her birthday. As Shina got dressed she was unsure whether she'd see Lil Slugger again or not. She remembered when he kissed her last night, and wondered if he really liked her. "_Maybe he's_ _just messing with my mind_" Shina told herself. After getting dressed, she went into the kitchen and ate cereal. As she sat there at the table, next to Keitaro, she realized that her father wasn't in his usual seat. As her mother entered the kitchen, she asked her, "Mom, where's Dad?"

"Oh, he went off to a job interview," she answered as she began making water for the dirty dishes that were left over night.

"Speaking of which, I'm working the late shift tonight at the store. So I won't be home until 10:30" Keitaro added.

"Alright, just be careful on your way home. You're taking the bike, aren't you?" the mother asked.

"Yes" he answered, spreading apple jelly on his toast. Shina's brother was 17, and a senior, so he already had a part-time job during school. She wished she could get one, but she'd have to wait till next year; her senior year. Shina could really use the money in many ways: she wanted it to help her family pay the bills and she wanted to buy some things for herself; such as manga and games. Shina sat her empty bowl next to the sink and kissed her mother good-bye.

"What about me?" Keitaro asked.

Shina gave him a raspberry on his cheek, making him say, "Hey now-!" as he squinted his eyes. Shina ran out the door, giggling to herself. "Weirdo" Keitaro muttered, taking a bite out of his toast. Shina walked down the street to the bus stop. Feeling a bit paranoid, she constantly checked her surroundings to see if Lil Slugger was present. A few minutes later, the school bus pulled up. Shina gave the driver her bus ticket and went to find a friend to sit next to. She spotted Minoru near the back, sitting by the window. Shina slid next to him saying, "Good morning!" He greeted her back and smiled, and helped her remove her school bag. "I got it" she said. "I know, but I want to feel useful" Minoru replied.

"So, are you still coming over tomorrow?" Shina asked.

"Hm, tomorrow? Why?"

"Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Ha ha, I'm only teasing; I know it's your 16th birthday! Yeah I'm coming. What time?"

"12 o' clock."

"Cool, I'll be there."

"'Kay, and don't eat all my cake like last time, fatty!" she elbowed his arm playfully.

"I won't, and I told you; I was under a spell last time!"

"Suuure…"

Minoru laughed; then his expression turned grim. "Oh, did you hear about Hamako-san and Suzuka-san?"

"Yeah, they were killed by Lil Slugger!"

"I know; it's kinda scary. Some of the other students are saying that they're not coming back to school for a while."

"Hm, maybe I should tell my parents. They didn't see the news yesterday, and I'd like to take a few days off from school, ya' know?"

"Me too…But, I wonder why he attacked them in the first place."

"Hm…" Shina nodded. She knew the reason why, but didn't want to tell _him_ that.

"Hey, did you finish Todai-sensai's project?"

"What project?" Shina faced Minoru, confused.

"The one he issued a week ago; the 5-page report on World War II."

"No, I forgot!"

"He said it was going to count as a project grade; so if you make a high score, then it'll improve your class grade."

"Aw, damn, I forgot! And I have a 'C' in his class…That'll bring my grade down if I don't turn in the report…When is it due?"

"Today"

"Today! No, no, nooo!" Shina covered her face with her hands and shook her head, leaning forward. She leaned back against the seat and her hands fell limply to her sides, while her head hung low. "I give up…I quit…" Shina muttered, staring down at her blue-plaid skirt. She was beginning to lose faith in herself. This was another strike; she'd forgotten all about her assignment when she found out that the family was having money problems. The stress on the parents eventually got to Shina, and she would lock herself in her room and cry. She felt somewhat responsible for her family being in debt. They had bought her that mp3 player and two new video games as an early birthday present a few weeks ago; just incase they didn't have enough money to get her a present weeks later. If she wasn't born, then they'd have nothing to worry about…

That morning, Shina was so depressed, that she couldn't focus on her school work and didn't realize when it was time to switch classes. She eventually fell asleep during geometry class, while the teacher was at the board explaining how to solve a certain problem.

It was a very beautiful morning. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of freshly made chocolate from the local candy shop. Lil Slugger was skating out on the busy streets that morning at a very fast pace. When cars blocked his way, he simply hopped and skidded over them, and any other obstacle for that matter. People shouted his name in fright and complained about how he was so reckless. He ignored them and kept on his way. One woman phoned the police, but it was hard to keep sight of him when he was fast and tricky on those rollerblades of his. He turned down a quiet street, and made his way to an apartment complex. He skated through the parking lot and opened the gate to the apartments. He glided around slowly, searching for a certain door. Then he found it; apartment 717. The door was already open, and three little children came running outside. Two of them were twin boys and the other was a girl. They all seemed to be around the ages of 3-5. They ran up to Lil Slugger chanting, "Daddy's home, Daddy's home!" pulling on his clothes and happily jumping up and down. Lil Slugger slipped off his skates, placed his bat in the corner and walked inside, into the kitchen. There was a girl with short, shoulder length brown hair, standing by the stove and stirring food in a big silver pot. She didn't seem to be any older than 15, and she was about 4'8''. The girl turns around and Shina's face comes into view. She smiles at Lil Slugger and says, "Welcome home, darling…"

The loud beeping of the school bell sounded. One of Shina's classmates shook her hard to awaken her. She woke up with tears in her eyes. After wiping her wet face, Shina picked up her books and stumbled out of the class room, still half asleep. It was lunch time, and Shina was going to meet up with Yumi and Minoru like she always did. As she made her way up the stairs that led to the rooftop, she began to have déjà vu. She walked up slowly, careful not to fall due to her sleepiness. She yawned and thought, "_Man…I'd hate having to go to Todai-sensai's class after lunch. I'm going to be in big trouble_". A sudden thump and clank sound made Shina's eyes grow wide for a moment. "_That sounded like…skates stepping onto something…_" she cautiously turned her head. To her horror, she saw Lil Slugger walking up the steps after her. She didn't understand why he was stalking her, or why his presence frightened her. What scared her even more, was that she saw fresh blood dripping off of the bent, golden bat that he was carrying. "So…" Lil Slugger began, as he kept walking, "Who shall be next?" He looked up and smiled evilly at Shina. "No!" she shouted as she ran up the steps, "Leave me alone!" Now this situation seemed all too familiar; it was just like the dream she had last night. Shina hopped over a few steps to get to the door quicker. When she reached the door, something unexpected happened; Lil Slugger had grabbed the back of her blouse to keep her from going through. "Please stop! Let me go!" Shina cried. Lil Slugger tightly wrapped his arms around Shina's body to restrain her. "You don't have to fear me anymore. I'm here to help you," he whispered seductively as he lifted the bloody bat to her face. Shina whimpered. "I'm only here for you…" Lil Slugger whispered again. Shina broke free of his grip…or did he let her go? She opened the door, and nearly tripped as she ran over to her friends who were waiting for her.

"Shina-san, what's wrong?" asked Minoru.

Shina's breathing was unsteady as she spoke in a hush tone, "It's him…Lil Slugger…"

"Lil Slu- no way! Again! Where is he, did he hurt you!" Yumi checked to see if Shina had any injuries.

"No, no, I'm fine really…He-he just scared me…"

"So, he didn't hit you?" Minoru questioned.

"No…But, I'm not sure what he wants with me…"

Minoru hugged Shina and said, "We'll protect you, don't worry."

She smiled and nodded; Yumi balled up a fist and said, "Yeah, we'll scare_ him_ next time! You're not going to end up like Suzuka and Hamako."

"Thanks you guys…" Shina forced a wide smile onto her face, "Now, who's hungry? I brought some peaches and cherries as a treat today!"

"Yay! You rock Shina-chan!" Yumi cheered. The three sat happily against the gate around the edge of the building's roof, eating their lunches. Shina had to change her mood quickly to keep her friends from worrying. After lunch, they all had History class next; Mr.Todai's class. When they were nearing his classroom, a large crowd of students and teachers were gathered at the door. "What's going on?" Yumi asked a student. "Todai-sensai has been attacked by Lil Slugger!" he answered. "WHAT!" Yumi, Minoru and Shina shouted. They fought their way through the crowd and found Mr.Todai slumped over his desk. He had a large, bloody gash on his skull. Blood was spattered all over his belongings and on the posters behind him on the bulletin board. The principle came onto the scene accompanied by police and news reporters. "Alright, kids, get back to class! I said clear out! This is a police line so step back!" Another teacher came over and said, "All who have Todai's class at the moment, please come with me to the auditorium!" Shina's classmates and her friends all followed the teacher to the auditorium where a temporary class will be held. The other students, who were on the second floor where Todai had been killed, were pressed against their classroom windowed-doors to get a good look at the scene.

As the students were walking to the auditorium, Shina, who was among them, began to ponder this whole mess. "_Once again, someone at school was killed by Lil Slugger. And it just so happen that the people involved are the ones that caused me trouble…The girls always picked on me, and I would've gotten in trouble with Todai-sensai…Maybe, Lil Slugger really is trying to help me. But I'm still not sure...If he really likes me, then what's his reason?-_"

"Shina-chan watch out!" exclaimed Yumi as she pulled her friend aside. She had almost run into a pole. "If you're going to be deep in thought, at least wait until you can sit down," Yumi giggled.

Soon, it was time to go home. When Shina walked through the door, she saw her mom sitting on the sofa in the living room. She seemed to be crying. "Mom, what's wrong?" Shina asked as she approached her. Her mother faced her; she held a handkerchief to her nose and sniffed, "Oh, Shina-chan…Your father…he…" The room falls quiet as Shina's mom tells her what happened. Shina ran to her room and locked the door. She flung herself onto her bed and cried hard into her pillow. She wished that what her mom had just told her, was some kind of dream, and that she would wake up. But this was no dream; just the cruel reality…She found out that her father died in a car accident earlier that day…

**End of Strike 2**

**Please write me a review!**


	3. The Birthday

**In this chapter, Shina mourns the death of her father. She also realizes that she is starting to develop feelings for Little Slugger. As she tries to cope with the fact that he might be with her for the rest of her life, more complications arise. Please note that this story will be a short one; so don't be surprised when the story suddenly comes to an end. The highest amount of chapters I plan on making for this fic will be at least five. If the ending is appropriate, then a sequel might be done. Or maybe I'll just make different PA fanfics. Just wait and see. :-)**

**Strike 3- The Birthday**

The rain came down hard that day. Lil Slugger didn't come to visit Shina last night, nor that morning. Shina stayed in her room all morning long, sulking and feeling depressed. She didn't know what to do now that her father was dead. She wanted to run away, to forget. What else was going to happen to her? Her life was already ruined enough! The doorbell rang. Shina answered it and saw her two friends standing in the doorway, holding presents in their hands and a bit wet from the rain. "Surprise!" they shouted in unison. Shina barely smiled; she invited them in and sat with them at the kitchen table.

"Happy birthday, Shina-chan!" Yumi gave the girl a big hug.

"Sixteen, huh? Wow, before you know it we'll be off to college…Hm, what's wrong?" asked Minoru.

At first, Shina didn't know what to say. She was still in shock and disbelief about her father's death. It seemed too surreal. She finally found her words and said slowly, "My dad was…killed in a car accident yesterday…" tears formed in her eyes. "He was driving across the bridge to get back home from his interview…when he lost control of the car…and crashed into the river…and drowned." A waterfall of tears flowed down her face. Minoru and Yumi wrapped their arms around her to comfort her. Although they could not restore her father's life, they tried their best to make her feel better.

For the rest of the afternoon, the three friends chatted about many things, trying to keep off of the subject about Shina's dad. They sat at the table eating cake and ice cream. The presents that Shina received were a Maromi plush from Yumi and volume 9 of the "Hot Gimmick" manga from Minoru. A few hours later, the two friends returned home, and Shina was left with the strange, staring Maromi plush that sat on her bed. Shina's birthday party wasn't much of a party at all; just a grim, rainy day. Shina's mom and brother both gave her twenty dollars, regardless of the money issues. Shina, reluctantly accepted the money and sighed. She lied on her bed, squishing Maromi in her arms. She felt like she needed to hold onto something, to feel safe, to feel loved. All she could think about was Lil Slugger…

That evening, Shina snuck out of the house with her umbrella to wander the semi-dark streets. She aimlessly walked down the sidewalk, hoping to run into a stray dog to play with…or something of that sort. She came closer to the main street and started to think about committing suicide. But then she figured it'd just be a waste of time. What if the impact from one of the cars didn't kill her? Then what? The street lights blinked on, one by one. It was probably around 6 o' clock. The heavy rain started to slack up, and Shina was now seated on a bench near the bus stop. Sitting there in her loneliness, she realized that she had forgotten her mp3 player. "I need you, Lil Slugger" she cried, dropping the umbrella onto the drenched ground. She bent over and cried, wishing that she could somehow repair her corrupted life. "Lil Slugger, please…help me…please…" she cried repeatedly. And then, "You called?" she heard his voice. Shina raised her head and saw his blurry image in front of her. She wiped her eyes to clear up her vision.

"Please…hit me…Make me forget…I can't live like this anymore!" she pleaded, pulling Lil Slugger's shirt.

"No" he said abruptly.

"Why not? What's stopping you?"

"Only I can make everything better without having you lose your memory" he answered in a clever tone. He pointed his bat at her face, "So don't tell me what to do…Just let me handle everything."

Shina rose to her feet and gripped his shoulders, "Just do it! I'm begging you!" Lil Slugger didn't respond, he simply stared at her. The expression on Shina's face changed from anger, to sadness. She felt tears forming in her eyes again. Lil Slugger moved his face closer to hers, and their lips met in a kiss. After that, Shina embraced him strongly; she wanted to hold onto him for as long as she could. But suddenly, Lil Slugger broke the hug and took off; skating backwards to face the brown-haired girl. She called his name as she chased him down the sidewalk. Not being able to understand why he was acting this way, Shina started to cry. She begged for him to stop, but he simply smiled at her. His bat scraped loudly on the concrete. He made a quick change in direction and charged forward, knocking Shina onto the wet grass as he fell on top of her. The rain had completely stopped, but it was still cloudy. Lil Slugger had the most sinister smile stretched across his shadowed face as he raised his bat high. Shina gasped. "Happy Birthday" he said, and he swung…

…Shina heard someone's voice…a woman's voice. She was singing a song…a birthday song...Shina opened her eyes and her mother's face swam into view. She realized that she was back in her room.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Keitaro went outside, and found you lying on the front lawn. So he brought you in…What were you doing out there?"

"Um, I can't really remember…" Shina sat up, "Um, Mom…is Dad still…?"

"Yes," her mother nodded, "He's dead."

"Oh, I see."

"Is something troubling you, dear?"

"No, no, I'm okay really. I'm just a little tired…and maybe a bit confused."

"Well, if you like, I could let you stay home from school tomorrow."

"Actually, Minoru and I were going to help out in the computer room tomorrow…so…"

"Don't worry about it then. I'm not trying to force you to stay home. I just thought you needed some time off from school, since all this has happened."

"Hmm…Could I stay home on Tuesday instead?"

"Alright…You rest up." Her mother placed a kiss on her forehead and exited the room.

The sky soon turned dark and Shina was all tired out. She lied there in bed, thinking about Lil Slugger. "_…I kissed him…I actually kissed him…_" Shina blushed at the thought. She never thought she'd have this kind of feeling for him. But it was a bit strange. She loved him, and yet she feared him. It was all mixed emotions, but she really enjoyed having him as company. Her eyes started to droop as she stared into Maromi's big black eyes. She heard her door creak open, and heard the sound of rollerblades gliding against a carpeted floor. Shina didn't care about the noises; she was much too tired at the moment. She heard the clank of a metal object hitting a wall. And then it sounded like someone was taking off a pair of shoes…or skates; since she heard wheels turning and clips clanking. Then the room fell silent. But suddenly, she felt something weigh her bed down. It felt like someone was climbing into bed with her. At first she thought it was Keitaro playing a joke on her, but realized who it really was when she heard his voice. "Are you awake?" the boy whispered. She felt his body heat, and she shifted her position so she could sit up. She bumped her head into something…it was a cap.

"Aie…Hmm…Lil Slugger? What do you want now?" Shina said in a sleepy tone.

"There's something I have to tell you" he responded.

"Can you tell me tomorrow? I'm really tired…And please get off of me; what if my mom walks in?…" she turned on her side.

"I love you" he whispered, kissing her cheek.

Shina faced him and smiled; she reached up and hugged him. "I love you too" she answered. She lied back down, not realizing that she had pulled Lil Slugger down as well. Shina's arms dropped to her sides as she lay there half asleep. Lil Slugger made a "Hm?" sound, as if he wondered what was wrong with her behavior. His frizzy hair brushed against Shina's neck as he lay on top of her. They both lied there…motionless. "You're hurting me…" Shina mumbled weakly. Lil Slugger moved and lied next to her. His hand slid across her stomach and he whispered in her ear, "You want me to stay?" Shina could hardly respond; she heard what he was saying, but was too tired to answer. She turned over to face him and she wrapped her arms around him. "Please…don't leave me…" she shoved her face into his chest and cried silently. She didn't want to lose anyone else who was close to her. She had to hold on to the things she cared for. Lil Slugger placed an arm around her to comfort her, and gently licked her neck. "_Maybe…today wasn't such a bad day…after all_" Shina thought.

She had fallen asleep with Lil Slugger by her side…

**End of Strike 3**

**Yeee-haw! How touching! I nearly made myself cry while typing this. I could just picture it so perfectly in my little head. Awww. sniff sniff But the licking-her-neck part was suppose to express Little Slugger's…erm…weirdness……?**

**Btw, thank you all who have written me good reviews! I appreciate it very much! throws confetti on everyone I love my audience; I have to buy you guys some candy.**


	4. Foul Play

**Fa-zaah and good day to you all! This chapter will shock you (I hope). That's all I'm saying; I don't want to spoil anything. Well, all I have left to say is: Tamagotchies rock, and, drink more water!**

**-**

**You may read now.**

**Yours truly, Ai-W.R does a monkey dance**

**Strike 4- Foul Play**

When Shina woke up that morning, Lil Slugger was gone. She really didn't feel like going to school, but had to. After all, she _did_ promise to help Minoru in the computer room.

-Flashback-

(Last week)

Minoru, Shina, and Yumi were walking to class when Minoru said, "Hey, did you know that we're getting new computers next week?"

Yumi's eyes widened, "For real? Wow, finally! The ones we have now are too slow."

"Yeah, and Rikuno-sensai (the computer teacher) said that she'll need help unpacking them. Would you guys like to help too? I think we'll get extra credit for it."

"Sure, I'll help! When is it?" asked Shina.

"Next Monday; come early too, like at 7:20."

"Count me out, then" Yumi interjected, "You guys know that I'm never on time for anything."

Shina smiled, "Heh, you're right…Well, I'll go. I promise!"

"Thanks" Minoru replied.

-End flashback-

Shina groaned; she didn't feel like going to school today, but didn't want to disappoint Minoru. She finished getting dressed, skipped breakfast and waited at the bus stop. "_I hope Keitaro can get a car soon_" she thought. She decided to listen to some music to kill time. A couple of minutes passed and the bus arrived. Shina was going to sit next to Minoru like she always did, but he wasn't there. Shrugging and thinking, "_Oh well_", she sat in an empty seat. Shina yawned and leaned her head against the window. The bus had hit a sudden bump that made Shina's head knock hard against the glass. "Owch!" she exclaimed, rubbing the side of her forehead. At that point, she figured it'd be best if she just sat up straight. She looked over at her reflection. She had her hair hanging today; it was short and brown, stopping at the top of her shoulders. There were bangs that covered her forehead which were parted down the middle. Her hair used to be really long. It would stop just above her buttocks; however, she had cut it all off when her older sister, Mina, was murdered. It wasn't Lil Slugger's doing, but her own husband. He was an alcoholic and Mina would always fuss at him about it. One evening, when they got into an argument, he stabbed her to death. The husband was arrested of course…Shina's sister had long hair as well. The constant, "_You look just like Mina_" bothered her for some time, so she cut off her hair because she didn't want to be reminded of her sister's death…Shina was still staring at her reflection while thinking of the past…"_You have your father's eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes_" she could hear her mother's voice echo in her head. Shina glared at her mirror image then looked away. She stared at her hands resting in her lap. She felt herself choking up; her eyes getting a bit watery. Thinking of her dead family members made her depressed. Her thoughts shifted to

Mr.Todai, Nariko, and Asahi…and how they were killed…by Lil Slugger. She despised all three of them, and yet, she felt the pain of their families. The must feel the agony of losing a loved one as well. Shina wondered why she didn't feel this way before…It was probably because she was glad that those people wouldn't bother her anymore…

The bus stopped in front of Hyomura High School and Shina got off. As she watched the bus drive away, she imagined her worries float away as well. She sniffed, and forced a smile onto her face as she wiped a tear from her eye. She was going to be cheerful today; she had to, for her friends' sake. But as Shina neared the double doors, she noticed four police cars in the parking lot. Once she walked inside, she saw a police officer standing by the main staircase. Feeling a bit nervous, she approached him.

"Excuse me, officer; but could you tell me what's going on?"

The bearded man said in a thick voice, "Your principal has asked us to come and patrol the school, since Little Slugger has appeared here. Each floor in this building has three officers standing in the hallways to keep an eye on things. So there's nothing to worry about…He's not getting away this time."

"Ahh…!" Shina said astounded, "They really beefed up security…Well, thanks for the assistance!"

"You're quite welcome."

Shina smiled then went on her way up to the third floor. She turned right and walked down the hallway, when she noticed that there were no police here; just some brown-haired guy in a grayish-blue suit…Who seemed to be lost.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you looking for the office?" she asked.

"Um, no. Actually I'm just checking things out" he replied.

"Oh, alright then…Bye!" Shina ran off to room 301, the computer room.

"She's fast" the man muttered as he watched her figure grow smaller.

Shina entered the room smiling, but frowned when she didn't see Minoru, or the teacher. All she saw was the big computer boxes clustered in a corner of the room. "Where is he?...That boy! Tells me to come early and _he's_ not even here yet! Baka…" Shina sat in a desk and waited. She heard footsteps coming her way, but didn't pay any mind. She checked the clock on her tamagotchi; it was 7:27 A.M. Someone knocked on the opened door and said, "Ah, young lady?" it was a male's voice. Shina stretched her neck out and saw the same guy in the suit standing there. He looked a bit concerned, "You shouldn't be up here by yourself. It's dangerous you know."

"I'm not too worried…Although there aren't any police up here…"

"Hm? But, I'm a detective."

"Oh? Oh my, I'm sorry, I didn't know!" Shina covered her mouth in surprise.

The young man chuckled, "That's okay" he walked over, and held up his badge. "I'm Detective Mitsuhiro Maniwa" he held out his hand.

Shina stood up and shook his hand, "I'm Shina Yamamoto; pleased to meet you!"

"My partner and I came along to check the premises with the police. We've been tracking Little Slugger since he first appeared."

"I see, it must be a tough job."

"Yes, it is. But we stick with it…But in any case; even though the police are around, it'd be better if you had a friend accompany you. It's safer that way."

"Well, I was supposed to meet one of my friends now, but he's not here yet. Did you see him by any chance? He has black hair with a short pony-tail and green eyes."

"No, sorry."

"Hm, we were going to meet right here. Guess he got caught up in something."

"I'll wait with you, if you like."

"Oh, but I don't want to be any trouble-"

"It's no trouble" said Maniwa as he took his seat.

Shina blushed a bit, a little embarrassed and nervous. She sat down and thanked him.

"I was wondering…" Shina began, facing Maniwa, "If you guys capture Lil Slugger, what will happen to him?"

Maniwa blinked as if he thought that was a stupid question, "Well, he will be put in jail."

"Oh, I thought he might be executed or something…Then again, I doubt he's even a living person."

"Hm, that's true. Have you come in contact with him?"

Shina didn't answer; she was blankly staring at Detective Maniwa's shoes.

"Yamamoto-san?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry!" she looked up.

"Is something on your mind?"

"Ah-no, no it's just…You're shoes are the same ones my dad used to wear…"

"Oh…"

"Now, what were you saying?"

"Uh, did you ever come in contact with Little Slugger?"

"Um, w-well…Yes, but he's never attacked me."

"So how often have you seen him?"

"Not sure; he just appears sometimes. B-but it's not anything real important; I've just seen him around" she lied.

Maniwa eyed her for a moment, then smiled. "Okay then, well I'll be right back. I have to check something."

"Okay."

Maniwa went down the left hallway and met up with Detective Ikari. "Hey, I was talking with one of the students just now, and I think she knows something about Little Slugger." Ikari faced him, "Yeah? What makes you think so?"

"She seemed to be hiding some information while I was asking her a few questions. She didn't make eye contact and she twiddled her fingers a bit."

"Hmm, yeah, sounds a bit suspicious. Let's interrogate her." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"You know you're not allowed to smoke inside of the school, right?"

Ikari glanced at the pack and then stuffed it back in his pants pocket. "Oh, right."

Back in the computer room, Shina was still wondering were Minoru was. "_I hope he's not sick"_ she thought. "Hey" came a boy's voice. Shina jumped out of her seat. "Lil Slugger!" she said in a hushed voice. He glided over to her. "How'd you get past the police?"

"I have my ways. But right now, you need to come with me," he grabbed her by the wrist.

"But, the police!..."

"Just trust me."

Shina blinked, "Okay, let's go." She held onto his hand as he led her across the hall. They went around a corner and Lil Slugger turned to her, "Those damn detectives were coming to ask you about me, look." He pointed to the room they had just left. Maniwa and Ikari were taken aback when they found that Shina was gone. "Now, meet me in the courtyard." "Okay" Shina took a few steps, stopped and glanced over her shoulder. He was gone. "How does he do that?" she asked herself. She went down the side staircase all the way to the first floor. As she turned a corner to go through the back door, she bumped into Minoru.

"Shina-chan! What's the hurry?"

"Ah-there you are! Look, I've got to be somewhere right now. So, I'll meet you in the computer room later, okay? I'll try not to be too long, so we can get our job done before class starts. Ja!"

"Umm…okay…" said Minoru as he watched her push open the door and walk through. Shina arrived in the courtyard, looking for any sign of the ominous Bat Boy. She spotted him sitting on a bench, staring downward. As she sat next to him, she asked, "Don't you ever take that cap off?" Shina suddenly realized what a dumb question that was, but she didn't know what else to say. But Lil Slugger responded none the less.

"If I did, then my brains would spill out" he joked, smiling at her.

Shina smiled back with a raised eyebrow. "So, why'd you want to meet here?"

"Just so we could be alone."

"Oh…" she felt herself blushing. "Ah-about last night; did you really mean what you said?"

"Yes. I love you" he answered quite quickly, but was serious.

"Well, I feel the same way about you but…I have to know; what do you like about me?"

"I find you attractive, in many ways. You're beautiful for one thing. And your pain, guilt, hopelessness, suffering…it beckons me to save you…your soul. It's so tempting. But I've decided that instead of removing your memories, I could just remove the people who are causing your pain." Lil Slugger spoke without any expression. Or perhaps he was, it's just that his eyes were in shadows, so it was hard to tell.

"But, some of my memories aren't caused by people. Sometimes bad things just happen. Like my dad for example; he died in a car accident, not by the hands of a human."

"So what are you saying? Do you want me to hit you? So you'll forget everything? Forget me?"

"Umm…"

"WELL!" Lil Slugger shouted. He rose to his feet, "Did you ever stop to think about how_ I'd_ feel about it! I'm getting sick of your bullshit! You should be grateful instead of correcting me! I know what I'm doing, this is my job! You have to do _your_ part and learn to move on!" His body started to grow large and muscular. His eyes were wide and the pupils were dilated; while his teeth grew sharp and long. Shina backed away in fright. "What's wrong? Are you afraid of me now!" he asked in a deep, evil voice. "Please, don't hurt me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Shina cried. She found herself backed into a brick wall. Lil Slugger whacked his bat hard on the wall, inches away from the girl's head. There was a dent left in the wall from the impact. He turned back to normal and lowered his bat. "You foolish girl…" he muttered. He moved his face so close to Shina's that their noses almost touched. "Just trust me. I know what I'm doing…You don't want to end up like the others, do you?" Shina could hardly speak after what she just saw. Lil Slugger gently caressed her cheek, smiling. "Want me to kiss you?" Shina's heart leaped into her throat as he moved closer. She could feel his body pressing against hers…Their lips barely touched, then someone shouted, "HEY! WHAT'RE YOU DOING!" Lil Slugger spun around; Shina peeked out from behind him. "Minoru-kun!" Minoru ran over and shoved Lil Slugger away from his friend. "Stay away from her!" he yelled.

"What're you doing here?" Shina questioned.

"You were acting weird earlier, so I followed you."

Lil Slugger made a, "Hmph" and swung his baseball bat at Minoru; he dodged it. He continued to swing violently, laughing as he did so. Minoru still managed to evade the blows. "Stop it! Lil, Slugger, stop!" Shina screamed. Minoru broke off into a run, Lil Slugger chased after him. Shina followed as well. The sound of footsteps and rollerblades striking the pavement echoed throughout the courtyard. "Shina-chan, inform the police!" said Minoru. He stopped running and turned to fight. Lil Slugger swung at him, but Minoru ducked and clipped him. Lil Slugger quickly rose to his feet and kept swinging. Minoru backed away, eventually bumping into a pole. Just as the Bat Boy was about to clobber him, Minoru sidestepped and the pole was smashed. Minoru tackled Lil Slugger to the ground and grabbed hold of the bat. He punched Lil Slugger in the face, but when he tried it a second time, Lil Slugger had bit his hand. Shina ran over to try and break up the fight, she wrapped her arms around Minoru's body to try and pull him off. "Stop this, both of you!" she begged. Minoru pushed her off and she fell on her butt. Lil Slugger shoved Minoru off of him and raised the bat. Before Minoru could react, he had swung the bat and… "_Oooooh! And he hits it out of the park!_" said a sports announcer on the police officer's handheld television. He sat on the main staircase inside the school, watching a baseball game…Everything seemed to slow down…Minoru's body fell on top of Shina. He had a gash in his head; blood started to seep out of it. Shina trembled as her friend lay there motionless in her lap…

**End of Strike 4**

**Eeek! I hope you all won't hate me for this; but the next chapter will be the last. quickly runs away and hides on Prince Zuko's ship before an angry mob breaks out**

**Please review! Thanks!**


	5. The Golden Bat of False Salvation

**I hate to say it but, this is the final chapter of "Phantom Stalker". I'd like to say thanks to all of my readers; you guys are great. Thank you for reading my story and sending in reviews. I really appreciate it. As a matter of fact, you guys have been so great, that I've decided to make more PA fanfictions. But they'll be gruesome and weird. **

**Be sure to read my Full Metal Alchemist fic, "A Stray Child". **

**Please enjoy!**

**Strike 5- The Golden Bat of False Salvation**

…Shina trembled as her friend, Minoru, lay there motionless in her lap. "No…no…nooo!" she cried, shoving her face onto Minoru's chest. She sobbed loudly, while the perpetrator stood there, watching. Shina looked up at him and shouted, "WHY! Why did you- he was my best friend!"

"I had to" he answered with no sign of remorse in his voice. "You had to? YOU HAD TO! _YOU'RE _THE ONE WHO DOESN'T CARE ABOUT _MY_ FEELINGS!" she yelled.

"Quit your bawling and stand up; stand strong. You humans are so pitiful…You live your lives based on emotions."

"I thought you loved me…and I…how could I be so…?"

"He's not dead" Lil Slugger said plainly. Shina looked up at him; her eyes were watery and red. "What?" she mumbled. Without another word, Lil Slugger skated away. Shina watched him go, unsure as to where he was going. Shina whipped her face and gently laid Minoru's head down. She rose to her feet, stared at him for a moment then ran back inside. She retrieved the policemen and they contacted an ambulance. Minoru was rushed to the E.R. while Shina sat in the waiting room. She held her head down, entranced by the marble floor, and how clean it was. Her head was filled with worry. A tear rolled down her cheek and onto the side of her lips. She licked the salty tear and sniffed. She saw a pair of brown shoes walk in front of her, along with a pair of black shoes, which were scuffed a bit. Shina raised her head and found Detectives Ikari and Maniwa standing there. Maniwa reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here" he said, handing it to her. "Thanks" she replied, wiping her face. The two detectives sat in a chair on each side of the girl.

"How's your friend?" asked Maniwa.

"I think he'll be okay…but, I'm not sure…" Shina tried her best to hold back the tears.

"There, there" he rubbed her back.

"So, you were there when Little Slugger attacked him, right?" came Ikari's voice.

Shina's head turned from facing the brown-haired man, to the black-haired one. "Um, yes…I'm sorry, but I don't know your name…" she answered shyly.

Ikari stuck his hand out in front of her, "Detective Keichi Ikari. I'm Maniwa's partner."

"Pleased to meet you, sir! My name is Shina Yamamoto" she clasped her hand in his.

"Well, I hope this time you don't run away on us."

"Huh?"

Maniwa noted, "You left that classroom when we were going to come back to talk with you."

"Oh, that's right. I'm very sorry, that was rude of me!"

"Don't worry about it" Maniwa smiled. "Now, are you ready to talk with us?"

Shina lightly nodded her head. She didn't know what kind of questions they were going to ask; but she went along with it anyway.

Ikari shifted in his seat into a comfortable position, "Okay, now, earlier in the courtyard where the incident happened…Can you tell me how all of this started?"

"Well…" Shina started, but couldn't finish. Was she really going to tell them the truth behind her and Lil Slugger? Or would she lie? If she told them the truth, would they try to use her as bait to capture Lil Slugger? Millions of questions buzzed around in her head. After gathering most of her thoughts, she finally managed to say, "Lil Slugger and I…are…friends…" Maniwa and Ikari's eyes grew wide in shock.

"What, but how?" Maniwa questioned.

"We just started talking to each other whenever we met, and became friends…sort of…Well, you see, he…he likes me, so he hasn't hit me. He's done some bad things, but it was to help me. And today, we met up in the courtyard to talk. That's when Minoru-kun found us. He wanted to keep me away from Lil Slugger; to protect me, like a good friend is supposed to do. And then they started fighting. Lil Slugger was only defending himself, and he hit Minoru-kun…"

Ikari found himself to be a bit dumbstruck, while Maniwa stared intensely.

Ikari managed to speak, "I didn't think Little Slugger had any intimate feelings for people…Hmm…So has he told you anything about himself? Like, where he resides at, or who his next victim will be?" Shina shook her head "no". One of the doctors came out from the E.R. and beamed. "Your friend is fine, he suffered quite a blow to the head, but it's not too bad. Luckily you got him here in time or he would've most likely bled to death. You may come see him now." Shina jumped to her feet and dashed into the room. She cringed at the sight of an IV in Minoru's arm. Shina pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed side. She placed a hand on the boy's bandaged head and smiled weakly. The two detectives stood in the doorway, watching them, while exchanging a few whispered words. "Do you think he'll remember anything when he wakes up?" Maniwa asked Inkari. "I'm not sure" he responded, "But if he does, then Little Slugger's assault would be in vain. Heh, little punk…Going around hitting people. I can't wait till we get a hold of him…" Ikari stalked off to the bathroom. Shina grasped Minoru's hand tight, hoping that he would wake soon. And then, his eyes slowly opened. There was a dazed expression on his face as he turned his head towards Shina. She smiled brightly and embraced him. "Minoru-kun, I'm so glad you're okay! You remember right? It's me, Shina!" Minoru gazed upon her for a moment, then he said weakly, "..Shi-na?...I'm sorry, do I know you?" Shina's smiled flickered, "Ah-silly boy, don't tease! You know it's me, right? And Yumi-chan, remember her?" Minoru squinted his eyes as he tried to conjure up lost memories; Maniwa watched closely. "No…I'm sorry, I can't remember. Are you with the volunteer group who visits sick children in hospitals?" Shina's smile still remained but her eyes were wide in horror. While trying to recover her happiness, she reached into her blouse and pulled out a gold-chained necklace that had a butterfly metal sculpture on it. "You see this? You gave it to me for Christmas. Don't you remember?" Minoru shook his head, "No. Besides, I don't buy girly things for anyone." Shina gripped Minoru's shoulders tightly and cried, "Please Minoru-kun! You have to remember!" "Don't touch me!" he pushed her away, "You crazy girl…!" Shina's expression melted away and all that was left was a solid face, staring blankly at the person before her. "Oh, I see…Okay…Bye." She walked out of the room. Maniwa stared after her, with the most sorrowful look in his eyes.

Shina ran down the hallway in tears. She nearly crashed into Ikari as she passed him. Maniwa followed her. As he came across his partner, he asked, "What's going on?" "He lost his memory" Maniwa replied. Ikari cursed under his breath as he made his way to sit in a chair. Shina burst through the glass double doors and went around to the corner of the building. She banged her fists on a vending machine and cried loudly. She bent down into a crouch and cried, holding her legs. "No…Nooo! Mino-kuuuun!" She sat there for about three minutes, when she heard a familiar scraping sound. She quickly looked around and saw Lil Slugger approaching her, his bat scraping on the concrete to get her attention. "You…" she began as she stood up, a fire burned in her eyes. "How could you!" she yelled at him. Lil Slugger stopped a few feet away from her.

"Still angry are we?" he said, smiling. "You'll get over him soon."

"Damn you! Go to hell!" Shina ran up to him, but quickly stopped when he came to her. He nearly knocked her down when he grabbed hold of her. "Let go!" she yelled.

Detective Maniwa spied from around the corner. "Shina, don't worry about it anymore. Everything will be fine. I'll save you" said Lil Slugger.

"No, you've ruined my life. I give up. I can't trust you anymore!"

"Yes you can. Just forget all that's happened. I can still make things right for you, if you just trust me."

"How can I after what you've just done!"

Lil Slugger didn't respond. Shina lowered her head a bit, "I'm sorry Lil Slugger, but you can't do anything else for me. I'm at the end of my rope…Please, give me salvation; give me freedom. I don't want to deal with this anymore. Please…"

"What about your family? Should I save them too?"

"…Yes…"

Lil Slugger nodded, "Alright…But this is the last time you'll see me."

"I understand."

"I love you."

"I love you too" Shina replied, almost on the verge of crying again.

Lil Slugger tightened his grip on Shina's waist, still holding the golden bat and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met in a passionate kiss…A final kiss. Maniwa was about to interrupt them, but continued to watch quietly. Their tongues danced in each other's mouths, as they made slight moaning sounds of enjoyment. When the kiss was broken, Shina hugged him. She gripped tightly onto his shirt, not wanting to let go of him. Deep down, she really did love him, no matter what horrible things he did. Lil Slugger gently pushed her away from him. He tightened his hand on the baseball bat. Shina stood there with her head down, waiting for the blow. Lil Slugger raised the bat and whispered, "Rest now" bringing the metal object down hard onto the girl's skull. A loud whoosh sound was heard, followed by a thump. Maniwa watched Shina's shadowed body fall limp onto the ground. Then there came a second bone-crushing whack…Then silence…Lil Slugger stood in place for a while, to reminisce on what he had just done, then quietly skated away. Once the sound of rollerblades faded out, Maniwa ran onto the scene to examine Shina. Her head had been bashed twice, and it was bloody. He checked for her pulse…there was nothing…Maniwa lowered his head and said a prayer…

…The doorbell rang at the Yamamoto household that evening…Mrs. Yamamoto answered it…there stood Lil Slugger, grinning evilly. "Hi" he whispered. A woman's scream filled the room, but was silenced by a loud whack and a ruffle of clothes followed by a thump. "Mom, what's wrong!" Keitaro came running into the room.

_WHOOSH CLUNK…THUMP _…The teenager was out cold.

_CLICK…_The assailant switched on the lights. Both of his victims were lying on the ground, unconscious. Lil Slugger laughed to himself and said, "My mission is complete." He flicked the lights off and exited the house; disappearing into the dark night.

…………**..…..…………………….…Two days later……………………………………..**

"_There has been two more attacks on students from Hyomura High School…A boy by the name of Minoru Sonji was attacked by Little Slugger and as a result, lost his memory. His parents are troubled by this, but they are trying their best to live with this occurrence…One girl is dead by the hands of Little Slugger who was beaten twice in the head. She was killed outside of Komonaru Hospital, where Detective Mitsuhiro Maniwa discovered her. The girl's name was Shina Yamamoto. Unfortunately, we could not get in contact with her parents, because they had recently moved. One other student at the high school is undergoing therapy. The two victims were friends of Yumi Mao; who is currently seeking help with her getting over the loss of her friends. The principle at Hyomura says that the school will be closed until further notice. Police are still trying very hard to capture Shounen Bat, but they said that families should take extra care and keep a close eye on the ones they love. There's also news that-"_ _click_, the television was turned off.

Keitaro placed the remote down, got up from the sofa and walked over to his mother. "Mom, did we know someone by the name of 'Shina'?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"Hm…So, how long are we going to stay in this apartment? Aren't we going to buy a house?"

"Yes, soon. Don't worry yourself, my son."

"…Do you know why we moved? I can't recall…"

"We had to…After all, Little Slugger is attacking people around our old neighborhood. I don't want him coming after you…"

"…Yeah…Love you, g'night." Keitaro kissed his mother on the cheek and went off to his new bedroom. As he lay there in bed, someone watched him from afar. A smile stretched across the person's shadowed face. "Looks like you guys are doing fine" the boy muttered. He stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the apartment complex. He leaned his golden baseball bat on his right shoulder and skated down the dark streets. All was quiet, with the exception of the boy's golden rollerblades gliding along the concrete. He came across a graveyard and decided to pass through it. He went around searching for a particular tomb, and then he spotted it. Shina's name was inscribed on it, along with the date of her death. Lil Slugger brushed his fingers along the smooth top of the tomb and bowed his head. "She's sleeping well now" he muttered. He straightened himself and continued to skate along the sidewalk. He heard a man shouting, "Someone please help me! I can't take it anymore!" from around a corner. Lil Slugger smiled widely as he neared the area. "_Ah, my next victim_!" he thought. He sped up, the skates making loud clicking and rolling noises on the ground. He turned the corner and stopped, facing the deranged man. Lil Slugger waved his bat and said, "You called?"

**The End**

…**Little Slugger appears from out of the shadows and whispers, "Or is it?"…**

**---**

**Ah yes, that's the end…I suppose. Little Slugger is egging me on to make another story. Here's a look at our conversation:**

**LS: So is there going to be a sequel?**

**Me: Um, no.**

**LS: Well make another story about me.**

**Me: Erm, I'm tired right now. Remind me in two weeks.**

**LS: No, write one NOW! (raises his bat)**

**Me: (Napoleon Dynamite impression) I'll write it whenever I feel like it, GOSH!**

**LS: (eyes her weirdly)**

**Me: Now DANCE WITH ME YOU FOOL! bumps up a techno version of the PA theme**

**Little Slugger and Rabbit dance happily and stoopidly under the evening sun. **

**La de flippin' do!**

**Ha ha, okay you guys, thank you so much for reading! Sayonara and Aloha!**

**Yours truly,**

**/Ai-White-Rabbit\**


End file.
